I've noticed that almost everywhere I go, people can't help but to comment on 'my hands being full', and that I'm even out with three kids. I'm sure that some people find it annoying, since we just take longer, we are louder, and take up more space than others. But I know these days are short and soon my kids would rather me drop them off down the street and stay hidden. I'm taking this opportunity to explore our home, teach them about how to behave out in public, and just have fun with my three wonderful children. To those who say "Boy, you have your hands full", I always smile and reply, "I do, but better full than empty".
To the other moms out there with 2, or 3 or more kids, it is definitely possible to go exploring the neighborhoods with three. You just need some extra planning and extra patience, and must always know an escape route! I am usually pretty careful about trying somewhere new by myself. Unless I know we'll be alright, we usually bring Daddy, or a friend with us to new places.
I don't go too many places without my stroller! We mostly use the DuoGlide Double stroller by Graco. I bring a Baby Bjorn/Sling/Moby wrap and keep it in the bottom. This works pretty well because I can swap out who is where. It's also extremely handy when trying to round them up to go home. I can at least get two restrained before wrangling that last one!
For playgrounds, I try to find ones that are fenced in or at least partially fenced in. They also are usually offset from a main road. I actually do prefer smaller playgrounds since I can keep them closer together. It's difficult when there's the separate sections for different ages since my kids generally separate themselves. He usually thinks he's much bigger than he is, so I have to be aware of how 'big' the big kids section actually is. This certainly has restricted our park selection, but not as much as you would think.
The most important thing in my book, is to know your kids, your limits and their limits. And always, always be calm. They are kids. . . they are going to do things they shouldn't. There are going to be meltdowns. Someone is going to fall. You just need to be adaptable, and basically go with the flow. I know that if I get stressed out or upset, they are going to feed off that. It makes for a pretty miserable day! Most everything that 'happens' is cleanable or fixable with a hug and kiss.
